HAYWARD — The city’s current main library will be razed and the site turned into a plaza, despite a last-minute appeal to keep the building, possibly as an arts and cultural center.

The City Council on Tuesday accepted a $52.6 million contract for a new library and plaza, reaffirming its earlier vote to allow the demolition of the old building. The new building will be constructed across the street from the current one at C Street and Mission Boulevard and the old site converted into an arboretum with a central plaza.

Any change in Hayward’s project specifications could mean a delay of months, costing millions in the current hot construction project climate, city staff warned.

“I’m not willing to delay. Period,” said Councilman Al Mendall, who praised those on both sides for caring about their community.

The council approved the contract 6-1, with Councilwoman Sara Lamnin voting no.

The lowest bid, from T.B. Penick & Sons, came in almost $5 million higher than the engineer’s estimate. The post-recession building boom has driven up the cost of labor and materials, and there is less competition, according to the staff report.

The arboretum plaza will include several heritage trees, some more than 100 years old. The historic block, about the size of Union Square in San Francisco, dates back to the 1800s.

Hayward once was part of Don Guillermo Castro’s Rancho San Lorenzo, and the site was used as a corral. It later became a city park.

An informal group that included several local arts groups began organizing earlier this year to oppose the building’s destruction. While all supported the new library, some of those at Tuesday’s packed council meeting said they were not aware the old building would be razed.

“Hayward does not have a good track record of keeping and maintaining beautiful buildings,” said Bruce Roberts, mentioning the city’s Carnegie Library, Hayward Union High School and Centennial Hall, all of which were torn down.

There have been numerous community meetings on the project, including both a new library and a plaza, dating back to at least 2007.

“We may be late to the table, but while the old library still stands, I encourage the council to take another look before it is gone,” said Dorsi Diaz of Sun Gallery.

The library, built in 1951, needs major upgrades that could cost $4 million to $8 million, according to the city. Its roof leaks, the elevators break down, the sewers back up, it has a rodent problem and there is mold, several speakers said.

The building also does not comply with Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines.

“I don’t like the idea of any kid entering a building that has mold, that’s long past its prime,” said Tedi Valdez, of Hayward.

Councilman Francisco Zermeno, who earlier had advocated the old library be saved, said that was not feasible now.

“I’m not willing to delay our new jewel downtown,” he said.

But the effort to save the old building brought the often fractured local arts community together, he noted.

“We came together for the library,” he said. “Now we need to come together for the arts community.”

There are better possible sites for a cultural center, City Manager Fran David said, including the Veterans Memorial Building on Main Street.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that almost everyone in this room supports the arts,” David said. “We would love to have an arts center somewhere in town. We will continue to work toward that.”

Library Director Sean Reinhardt also said he liked the idea of a cultural arts center.

“I can think of a dozen possible places downtown, probably 100 citywide,” he said before Tuesday’s council meeting. “But there’s only one historic plaza that goes back to the founding days of Hayward with century-old trees.”